Prodigal Son: Leo
by Chocolate369
Summary: Leo's thoughts as he finds his brothers, and after his fight with Karai. First Fanfic, so please, no flames. Reviews are welcome. If I'm doing something wrong or breaking some copyright rule, please let me know. Rated T for safety


Disclaimer: I don't own one bit of tmnt. The quotes where Leo finds his brothers come straight from the episode "The Prodigal Son."

Chapter 1 Donnie and Splinter

As I raced toward the pier, I couldn't help but worry. I'm sure whoever had been in the Shell Sub was still alive, but what if the others weren't? What if they had been caught? Or worse?

No, I can't think like that. They're not that easy to take down. Everything we've faced in the past has proven that.

Reaching the pier, I started scoping out the buildings, trying to guess where my family would have taken shelter. I was sure that they had put up a hard fight before fleeing the lair and the chase in the Shell Sub wouldn't have been easy either, Which meant they wouldn't have gone too far before resting.

I leapt silently into a building with a hole in the roof, praying that I wouldn't run into any Foot who were searching for my family-or me. I had no doubt that destroying the robot at my old home would have alerted the Foot and that they were now searching for me.

As I searched, I heard the sound of someone approaching me. As I whirled around and drew my sword, my heart nearly burst with relief as I recognized the outline of the person and the bow staff held at the ready.

"Donnie? It's me!"

As Donnie stepped into the light, his face went from anger to joy and relief in a split second. "Leo. You're back!" He made his way to me and we grasped hands.

"Are you okay?!" I had to know. He seemed to limping slightly as he came to meet me. My thoughts were distracted from the question, however, as I heard another voice.

"My son!" Master Splinter moved into the light, covered with mud and sporting a bandage across his head, but I was too relieved to comment.

"Master Splinter! I knew it. I knew you were both alive! Don't worry, Sensei. Everything's going to be okay. I promise." And I meant it.

"Man, it's good to see you bro." Donnie's voice brought me back to the task at hand. They were tired and couldn't get into another fight. I had an idea about where we could stay-I'd discovered it on a training run in the sewers years ago. The best part was that it was far away from the old lair. I told them to follow me and we set out.

As soon as we were far enough away from the old lair, we descended back into the sewers. I was about to ask them what had happened, but Don beat me to the punch. "So, when did you get back Leo? And how'd you find us."

"The Ancient One had a vision that you guys were in danger and told me I had to go home. When I got here, the lair had been trashed. Some kink of robot attacked me. I was furious that it had destroyed my home and I took it down. I tried to interrogate the man operating it, but he set it to self-destruct and got away.

Angel helped me get a message to April. She told me that Karai had said she'd gotten you. I refused to believe and found the Shell Sub in the river. I saw that your scuba tank was nearly empty, so that meant that someone had survived I figured that you'd gone to the pier for shelter, and then I found you." I then realized I had a more pressing question than what happened at the lair. "Do you guys know what happened to Mikey and Raph? Where they might be?"

Donnie shook his head sadly. "I wish. When Karai wounded Master Splinter, we split up to get away. I don't know what happened to them. I would've gone searching for them myself, but I couldn't leave Master Splinter."

"I understand Donnie." And I did. I'm also rather glad he didn't. He was in no shape to fight if he encountered any enemies. "We need to find somewhere for you two to rest and recuperate. Some place far from the old lair." I noticed a familiar sign. We were here.

Chapter 2 Mikey

After making sure Donnie and Master Splinter would be safe, I headed back to the lair. After seeing the tunneler missing, I followed the holes made into the sewer wall. After what must have been a couple blocks, I found it upside down and destroyed. I began to worry that maybe whoever had been in there hadn't gotten out. Then, spotting tracks several yards back, I relaxed, if only a bit. Following the tracks to the end of a tunnel, I found a comic book and cat food. I smiled. Definitely Mikey and hopefully Klunk. I knew from the time the Mystics attacked our minds that Mikey would be devastated if he lost Klunk.

Bringing my mind back to the task, I realized I had a problem. The tracks ended at the subway rails, so I had no idea where to go next. Then it hit me. A few blocks away from here, Mikey had a little hideout where he would go when he was upset as a kid. Maybe he went back there now. It was a place to start.

I arrived as a subway went by. Mikey was there, sleeping with Klunk on top of him. I smiled in relief. As the train went by, Klunk woke up and started howling and crouching protectively on top of Mikey. I held my hand out to him. Klunk calmed down once he recognized me and started purring. I then shook Mikey awake.

"Na uh? Leo? Is that you?" I got my arm under his shoulder and helped him walk with Klunk following us. "I had the strangest dream. You were there, and the tin man, and the cowardly lion, and the grouchy Raph of the west."

I resisted the urge to laugh. "It's gonna be okay Mikey." I didn't think he was completely awake yet.

We walked for a while and he suddenly stopped, looking stunned. "What is it?" I asked, looking around. Surely it couldn't be the Foot.

"Leo," he stared at me. Then it hit me. He only just realized that I was here with him after being gone for two months. "Is that really you? Are you really…" he trailed off, probably wondering if he was dreaming again. I smiled and gently swatted him on the back of the head, like Raph would, only gentler, enough to let him know I was real.

"It's really me Mikey." I gave him some time to absorb what I'd said.

A few seconds later, his face lit up in a huge smile, "Leo!" and the next thing I knew he was hugging me so hard I had a hard time breathing for a few seconds. When he let go, I could see how happy and relieved he really was. "When did you get back?"

"A few hours ago," I told him. "I just wish I could've gotten here sooner." That brought Mikey back to the situation.

"Leo! Karai and the Foot attacked the lair. We split up to get away. The others…"

"Calm down Mikey!" He was getting into a full blown panic, and I had to snap him out of it. "Everyone's okay."

He stared. "Really?"

"I found Donnie and Master Splinter already and got them somewhere safe. That's where we're heading now. I haven't found Raph yet, but do you really think a bunch of Foot goons would be enough to finish him off?"

He smiled a little bit. "No, you're right. It would probably take the entire Foot plus the Purple Dragons to get him."

He spent the rest of the trip asking about Japan, if I'd seen Tokyo, seen any cool action figures or comics there, and about the Ancient One. I told him how the Ancient One had sent me back home after he'd had a vision of my family in danger. As we approached the pumping station, he'd just finished telling me about the card tower he'd completed just as Karai had attacked the lair.

Chapter 3 Raph

Leaving Mikey excitedly, but carefully hugging Master Splinter and Donnie, I set out to find Raph, deciding to head for the warehouse we kept the Battle Shell in. Sure enough, the doors had been left open and there were tire tracks leading away, meaning Raph must have been putting his foot on the gas to try to evade the Foot. (A/N no pun intended)

Several blocks away, I found the wrecked Battle Shell, looking like it had taken a missile. At first, I worried that Raph hadn't made it out, but then I remembered that he usually kept his bike in the truck when it wasn't being used, to keep it safe from Mikey. The tracks I saw behind the Battle Shell could be from his bike.

When the Battle Shell was hit, the smoke would cover Raph's escape, but only for a short time. If he was half as smart as I knew he was, he would've turned at the first corner he could. Rounding that corner, I saw his helmet lying on the ground below the tracks, meaning that he definitely got out of the truck before the missile hit. Realizing that the trains that ran on these tracks led to Cooney Island, I was sure Raph was there. It was the last place the Foot would think to look for him.

Following the tracks, I could only hope Raph wasn't seriously hurt, and that it wouldn't take long to find him.

Arriving at Cooney Island, I began to search the shadows, knowing Raph would never sleep out in the open for fear of being spotted. After searching around nearly every ride, I was about to give up when I saw a figure in the shadows sitting under a bridge. What looked like a sai was lying next to him.

Relieved I walked over to him, making sure to not sneak up on him. When he saw my shadow, he leapt to his feet, growled, and twirled his sais, ready to fight.

"I thought I'd find you here." I told. His expression changed from angry to relieved.

"Leo? Leo am I glad to see you!" His face turned to worry and fear. "Leo, they found the lair. They got to us! The others…I don't what happened to them! I…" he clenched his fists and closed his eyes, trying to keep calm.

"It's okay Raph." I hastily reassure him. "They're all fine. I found them. Everyone is okay."

He leaned forward and rested his hands on his knees, relief evident on his face. Then he smiled at me. "I'm glad you're back, bro."

"Come on, let's back to the others." I motioned for him to follow me and we left the park.

As we walked, he asked me why I was back and I told him about the Ancient One's vision of the family in danger. I asked him what had been going on at home while I was away, and he said that for a while, it had been really tough. It had also been weird not hearing working out and practicing in the dojo.

He also joked about how none of them paid attention to what time of the day it was, and how none of them knew what time it was when Mikey asked. At first I thought he was exaggerating. I could tell he was trying to lighten up the situation.

At first, he was worried that he had made a stupid decision in telling the others to split up when it was clear they couldn't win the fight in the lair. I had to reassure him that it wasn't. By splitting up, they caused the Foot to split up too, making it easier to get away. If they were together as group, it would've been a lot harder to escape whatever vehicle they took without getting spotted.

As we neared the new lair, I knew, now that Raph was safe, I was going to confront Karai about what she had done. According to what the others had told me, Karai tried to destroy us because we were the reason the Utroms caught and exiled her father. I knew I couldn't let this attack go unanswered. I also knew I had to do it alone. The others were in no shape to sneak into Foot Headquarters and, from what my family had said, I was the one Karai really wanted revenge on. Well, she would have her chance.

Chapter 4 At the New Lair

After I defeated Karai and warned her to keep away from my family, I procured food and medical supplies for my family. I also asked Angel to get a message to Casey and April, telling them that all of us were alive.

Walking back to the new lair, I thought about my decision to spare Karai's life. I saw right away she was letting her anger about what happened to her father consume her. But since I was thinking with a clearer head than I had been recently, I remembered that she was capable of acting with honor. If I was able to let go of my anger and find peace, then she could too.

But if she ever hurt my family the way she did again, I was going to come after her. I wanted to give her a chance at redemption, but not at the cost of my family's life or safety.

Upon arriving, I passed out Chinese food and gave Master Splinter the walking stick I brought from Japan. As we ate, I noticed my brothers were eyeing me.

"So Leo, You finish Karai off?" Raph asked. I stared at him. "Come on Leo. We heard Master Splinter tell you to be careful. And if it was me, I've confronted her too. So, did you finish her?"

I sighed. "I did confront Karai. And I did beat her. But I didn't finish her."

"What! Leo! She tried to kill us! On her own this time! Without the Shredder giving her orders!" Raph looked ready to explode. Donnie and Mikey weren't too far behind.

"I know Raph!" I said, using what my brothers called my leader voice. That made everyone shut up. "I know she tried to wipe us out. But I still believe she has honor in her. But, I let her know that if she attacks us like that again, I will take her out. And…" I trailed off, wondering if I should tell them.

"And what?" Donnie prompted.

I decided to tell them. "I fought her in the library. She built a statue of her father there. I knocked her sword out her hand early in the fight. I took her sword and cut the head off of the statue."

My brothers stared. Then Mikey smiled. "Nice." Donnie still had a shocked look on his face; Raph was smirking. I couldn't tell what Master Splinter was thinking.

After that, my brother's all wanted to know what Japan was like. I smiled as I recalled the mountains and the plains I'd crossed. The look on their faces as I described the Ancient One was classic. As we were about to go to bed, Don brought up one last question: "Hey, Leo, what was wrong before? Why were you so angry all the time?"

I sighed. "I felt that because the only way we could defeat the Shredder was by blowing up the ship and killing ourselves, I failed you. It's actually pretty similar to how I felt when I was recovering at the farm after Shredder blew up April's apartment."

"But you were back to your old self in no time at the farm. You accepted Raph's help with your swords, and you didn't turn into his twin." Mikey protested.

"That was because I was the only one who got seriously hurt, and that night was completely unplanned. When we tried to stop the Shredder when he was leaving, we had somewhat of a plan. Since that plan would've gotten us killed if the Utroms hadn't come, I felt like I failed."

Master Splinter spoke up for the first time. "Leonardo, no one can predict everything that will happen. You had any way of knowing he would build a stronger exo-suit. You had no idea Karai would choose to aid him after you saved her from falling. You cannot predict or prevent everything."

"I know that now, Sensei." And I meant it. I'd never forget, when I was fighting in that temple, the stone monster's face crumbling away to reveal my own.

Master Splinter sensed that I meant what I said and smiled. "Good. Now, let us all rest." As we each found our own space on the walkway, I felt more peaceful than I'd felt since I got home. My family was safe, and I was with them again.


End file.
